Family Changes
by Silent Angel of Time
Summary: Two newborns are dropped on the Hyperion Hotel's front doorstep, and everyone inside takes on the charge of raising the little ones. complete
1. Prologue

I know this is short but it's meant to be, and I am almost done with the next chapter, let me know what you think.  
  
Prologue  
  
"Angel!" Gunn's words ring through the hotel as he heads toward Angel's room.  
  
"Bloody hell!" Spike sticks his head out of his bedroom door before Angel, "does no one in this bloody hotel understand that we are creatures of the night, meaning we sleep during the day?"  
  
"What's doing on Gunn?" Angel appears looking as bleary eyed as Spike and considering it was 6 in the morning Gunn did feel kind of bad about waking them up.  
  
"You'll want to come downstairs." Gunn responds before turning around quickly and heading back downstairs where both Fred and Lorne holds a bundle.  
  
"Where'd they come from?" Angel asks as both he and Spike pick up on the scent of the newborns.  
  
"We don't know." Lorne responds, "we open the door and they were just laying there in the little basket."  
  
Angel quickly crosses to the basket Fred pointed at and picks up the white envelope laying inside he reads it quietly to himself sniffs the paper and then reads aloud, "Angel, you have helped me before and I know it is a lot to impose upon you but I had no where to turn and I can't take care of them. Will you please take care of them for me?"  
  
"Who's it from?" Fred asks.  
  
Angel shrugs, "someone has gone to great lengths to keep their scent off of it."  
  
"Did we know anyone who was pregnant?" Wesley questions.  
  
The group exchanges glances and everyone shrugs, "so what are we going to do with them?" Fred questions.  
  
"It doesn't look like we have much of a choice." Angel responds, "someone has entrusted us to take care of their children. We have to help them."  
  
"What are they?" Spike questions.  
  
"Girls by the looks of things." Lorne responds lifting up the baby in his arms revealing a pink one-piece.  
  
"Then we have to think of names." Fred states leaning her face down and kissing the baby in her arms gently.  
  
"Skylar means learned one." Fred states staring at the computer screen in front of her.   
  
"That's cute." Lorne agrees.  
  
"Skylar Cordelia." Gunn suggests.  
  
Everyone nods in agreement, "what about for this little one?" Lorne has both babies in his arms and he gently lifts the baby in his left arm.  
  
"Maggie Rose." Angel suggests.  
  
"That's beautiful Angel." Fred states and everyone else agrees. "Well Skylar Cordelia and Maggie Rose, welcome to the family, it's a little weird but it's not lacking in love." 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
Just on a quick note I just wantd to let you all know that I changed Skylar's name to Alisa so no one get's confused with whatever Skylar story there is out there!  
  
2 and a half years later  
  
"No!" The cry comes from somewhere over Dawn's head along with the sound of pattering feet.  
  
"Can I help you with something Darlin'?" A green demon asks when he turns to face Dawn.  
  
"I'm actually looking for Angel." Dawn responds glancing around the huge hotel, Willow had said it was big but she had never imagined the size.  
  
"You must be Dawn!" The stranger exclaims.  
  
"Well, yeah." Dawn nods.  
  
"Good, good. She's here!" The friendly demon calls loudly and Dawn can hear even more activity from the floor above.  
  
"No! No! No! No!" The same young voice comes louder as a small girl with brown hair attempts to run down the stairs.  
  
"Gotcha." A woman quickly grabs the little girl around the waist followed by the first person Dawn recognized.  
  
"I don't wanna get dressed!" The little girl in the woman's arms cries. "Pwease can I not wear that? Pwease?" The girl requests.  
  
"Hi Dawn." Wesley greets coming the rest of the way downstairs with the talkative girls identical sister.   
  
"Hi Wesley." Dawn returns the greeting staring at the two little girls.  
  
"If you can give us just a minute we can do proper introductions." The woman responds trying to wrestle a pair of corduroy light brown jeans onto the little girl. "Don't wanna wear this, wanna wear my bathing suite!"  
  
"Alisa it's raining outside, it's to cold to wear your bathing suite." The woman responds finally able to button the jeans and pulls a long sleeve pink shirt, with a maroon sweater.   
  
The little girl the woman had called Alisa is finally set free and she walks over to the round couch in the middle of the room and sits swinging her socked feet back and forth. Wesley hands the other girl to the woman, and while the dressing process is a little less difficult it still takes several squirmy minutes to get the girl into her dark corduroy skirt, white sweater and pink jacket. Finally releasing the twin the woman straightens and turns her attention to Dawn.  
  
"Dawn this is Fred and Lorne, and the two squirmy ones are Maggie and Alisa." Wesley introduces.  
  
"It's nice to meet all of you." Dawn responds.  
  
"Is there something wrong Dawn?" Wesley questions.  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "actually when the winter session starts I am starting at UCLA, so I just thought I would stop by."  
  
"That's great, we're glad you stopped by." Wesley responds, "we were just about to have breakfast, would you like to join us?"  
  
"Um," Dawn bites her lip, "I don't know...I don't want to..."  
  
"Come on," Fred urges, "breakfast is kind of crazy but it'll be fun."  
  
"All right." Dawn nods.  
  
"Yay!" Both girls exclaim taking Dawn's hands.  
  
"So how old are you're daughters Wesley?" Dawn asks once the 6 have sat down to dinner.  
  
The three other adults exchange glances and laugh lightly, "they aren't my children Dawn."  
  
Dawn turns to look at Fred expecting her to say that they are hers, but instead Fred begins to explain the whole story of how they came to be left. "The girl's Mommy and Daddy couldn't take care of them so she left they left Maggie and Alisa for us to take care of."  
  
"Yup." Maggie nods, "we live here with Aunt Fred, Uncle Gunn, Uncle Wesley, Uncle Lorne, Uncle Angel and Uncle Spike."  
  
"Unc-uncle Spike?" Dawn stutters.  
  
Before anything else can be said Spike appears in the kitchen, "lil' bit what are you doing here?"  
  
"Spike?" Dawn's eyes go wide staring at the vampire she had thought perished 3 years before.  
  
"Yeah lil' bit it's me." Spike responds as Dawn quickly stands to hug him.  
  
"We thought you were lost in the rubble in Sunnydale, we had no idea what happened to you." Dawn states quickly.  
  
"It's a long story lil' bit." Spike responds, "but what are you doing here? We haven't heard from any of you since Sunnydale."  
  
Dawn nods, "yeah, we have been all over the world in the last 3 years. Trying to find slayers and get them proper training. For the most part Buffy set up shop in Cleveland on the Hellmouth there. She isn't really big with the travel, but we have set up a new watchers council there and a school for all the slayers. Giles and Willow do most of the traveling and I went along most of the time."  
  
"What about school?" Fred questions.  
  
Dawn makes a face, "it's not been a constant in my life. So that's why I am starting at UCLA as a Freshman at the age of 19."  
  
"Buffy didn't make you stay in Cleveland and attend school?" Spike asks as he prepares himself a mug of blood.  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "with the whole training hundreds of slayers she and Faith really had their work cut out for them so I was able to convince her to let me go with Giles or Willow."  
  
"Where have you been?" Alisa asks.  
  
"Well," Dawn turns her attention to the toddlers, "China, England, Ireland, Japan..."  
  
Alisa looks mildly interested until she asks, "can we go out and play now?"  
  
"Is it still raining?" Fred asks getting up from the table and walking toward the window, peeking out she responds, "you may play in the backyard but if it starts to rain I want you to come in right away, all right?"  
  
The girls nod solemnly as Wesley steps in to help them each put boots on and both get hats that match their outfits. And without another word the girls skip out of the kitchen and outside.  
  
"Shouldn't someone be watching them?" Dawn asks.  
  
"Gunn's out there." Wesley responds, "he's helping the girls build a tree house, that's why they wanted to get outside so quickly.  
  
Dawn nods, "so who's kids are they? If you don't mind my asking."  
  
Fred shrugs, "we actually don't know. They were literally left on our front doorsteps one day and we have tried everything but their mother has made her path untraceable. We have tried everything to find her but we have had absolutely no luck. So we gave up 6 months after they came to live with us."  
  
"But you're a detective agency, how did you raise to little girls?" Dawn asks.  
  
"Believe me it hasn't been easy." Angel's laughing words come from behind Dawn. 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 3  
  
As an overall responds thanks for all the reviews. I'm sorry for those of you who don't like present tense stories...But I don't write anything else, sorry!  
  
CordiAnne-I'm working on making the chapters longer! I'm just trying to update as often as possible but they will be longer...I hope!  
  
Imzadi-I'm sorry about all the punctuation errors, I'm working on it...side note if anyone is interested in being my Beta please email me! I just don't have the time to Beta my own stuff anymore.  
  
LadyLupin-Sorry the Spike/Dawn scene was to short but don't worry there will be some stuff between them...(nothing romantic of course)  
  
"Hey Angel." Dawn greets, turning to face the vampire whom she hadn't seen since she was a child.  
  
"How are you?" Angel questions looking like he is going to say more, and then stops suddenly.  
  
"I'm good." Dawn nods, "Buffy's good too." Dawn bites her lip, hoping that raising the topic of Buffy with both Spike and Angel in the same room wouldn't be a problem, but within seconds Dawn realizes that it doesn't appear to be one, so she relaxes.  
  
The twins rushing in and giggling interrupts any conversation the adults could have had, "what's going on?" Lorne asks.  
  
Maggie, her and Alisa's muddy boots dripping on the floor, pauses from her laughter to state, "Uncle Gunn fell down in a puddle and now he's covered in mud."  
  
Everyone jumps up moving quickly to make sure that Gunn was all right, but he appears suddenly, covered in mud just as Maggie had said and in a deep voice states, "I'm gonna get..." he draws his words out and finally states, "Alisa!"  
  
Both girls shriek and take off in opposite directions, spreading mud all over the kitchen, "Charles you're getting mud..." Fred begins but Spike shushes her by gently laying his hand on her arm.  
  
"Let them go love, they're having a good time." Spike's words are so endearing Dawn finally picks up on why the topic of Buffy hadn't caused tension in the room.  
  
A crash comes from the entrance and Fred leads the way to find out what caused the sound. They find Gunn doubled over laughing, apparently Alisa has slid across the lobby of the Hyperion leaving a muddy trail across the floor. Alisa grins up at the adults, "that was fun!"  
  
"I wanna do it!" Maggie begins running toward her sister but before she can slide into the table right next to Alisa, Spike grabs her. "Uncle Spiiiike!"  
  
"I know, I'm ruining all your fun love, but your Aunt Fred and I think you and your sister need a bath." Spike responds tucking Maggie under one arm and scooping Alisa up in the other.  
  
"A baath?" Alisa draws out, "we just got dressed!"  
  
"And now you're all muddy." Fred responds.  
  
"Can we play with bath paints?" Maggie questions looking hopefully up at Spike.  
  
"Don't ask me love, it was your Aunt Fred who was covered from head to toe in red paint the last time."  
  
"Pwease?" Maggie and Alisa chime in together.  
  
Fred smiles at the girls, "all right, but lets keep the paint confined to the bathtub this time, all right?"  
  
"We prowmise!" the girls echo.  
  
"I'll clean this up here." Lorne promises, "Gunn why don't you get cleaned up. Wesley, Angel why don't you talk with Dawn. It's been awhile since you got to chat with anyone from Sunnydale, or rather Cleveland now."  
  
"All right, thanks Lorne." Wesley responds.  
  
"So what's been going on in Cleveland, Dawn?" Angel asks as the three settle around the kitchen table.  
  
"Everyone is actually split between England and Cleveland, so it's been really crazy." Dawn states, "Giles, Willow and Oz have started the watchers council again. There isn't the traditional one watcher per slayer, it's gotten slightly more complicated. We have a school set up and are constantly training the new slayers that keep pouring in. The most promising slayers are trained not only in fighting techniques but they also train in watcher studies, everyone gets some watcher studies, but there are special slayers who lean more toward the watcher side of things. Once they have progressed out of school they are sent all around the world to protect in smallish groups, running a lot like the way Buffy did when she was the only slayer."  
  
"Sounds like a good idea." Wesley comments. "So Willow and Oz are back together then?"  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "no, but Willow's with this new woman, she's nice, she's not a slayer or a witch or a werewolf...She's just your average person, she's a sweetie, perfect for Willow. When Kennedy took off we didn't think Willow could handle it, but she has and Brygid couldn't have come at a better time. We met Bryg when we were in Poland, her family had just been killed and she and Willow were able to comfort each other."  
  
"How's Faith?" Angel asks, obviously dancing around the topic of Buffy.  
  
"She's doing really well, love suits her if you could believe that. She and Wood have been married for a little over 2 years and surprisingly enough she just had a baby and with her lineage it's obvious that she's going to be a slayer. She's the daughter and granddaughter of a slayer and she is all ready starting to show signs of her strength."  
  
"And Xander?" Wesley asks.  
  
Dawn's face looks slightly sad as she gently shakes her head, "he hasn't really been the same since Anya died. I mean he's still Xander, but he's not the same, he's sadder. He's actually gone the most, he kind of does his own thing."  
  
"And Buffy?" Angel finally asks.  
  
"Buffy is Buffy, she dedicates everything she has to the school and she's pretty well liked. But she's lonely too, I can see it, but she needs to know that Spike's alive. It'll help her, she was devastated by the loss we suffered during the final battle in Sunnydale, the slayers who were there call it Sunnyhell...She pretty much avoids Xander because she always feels so guilty when she sees him."  
  
"But she's mostly happy?" Angel inquires.  
  
Dawn nods quickly, "yeah, most of the time, she loves training with the slayers...plus I think she has a superiority complex." Dawn smiles.  
  
"And you, have they trained you?" Wesley asks.  
  
Dawn nods, "Buffy realized that if I was going to be out on my own traveling that I was going to have to know how to defend myself so I could get myself out of trouble...besides there are plenty of other new slayers who get into their own trouble without me adding to it." Dawn's face goes solemn then, "and Spike? How long has Spike been in LA?"  
  
Wesley and Angel exchange glances, "since the fall after the final battle in Sunnydale." Wesley responds.  
  
"And he never told us?" Dawn asks quickly her entire face darkening, "he let us go through the pain of mourning him when he was alive the entire time?"  
  
"Lil' bit you don't understand." Spike is suddenly standing behind her, "maybe we should talk." 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Four  
  
"We're going to go." Wesley states standing up as Angel follows him, "we'll let you guys talk."  
  
"Cowards." Spike murmurs as they rush out of the room.  
  
Dawn's eyes are the only things that give away any of her emotions and they seem torn between anger and relieved tears. "How could you?" Dawn asks standing slowly to face Spike and he realizes for the first time that she's grown, she was now standing eye level with him and her training with Buffy showed; Dawn had grown up and Spike hadn't been around to watch her.  
  
"I didn't...I couldn't..." Spike is suddenly struck without words.   
  
"You couldn't take some time away from all of this to drop us a letter that you were alive. You just let us keep on thinking that you were dead..." Dawn's tears seem to win over as she sinks back into the chair she had been sitting in and buries her face in her hands.  
  
"I'm sorry, it just never seemed like an appropriate time to do it, and then so much time had passed that I wanted you guys to be able to just live your lives." Spike kneels down in front of Dawn .  
  
"We mourned for you, we go back every year and all this time..." By this time is bawling.  
  
"Shh lil' bit." Spike wraps his arms around Dawn and lets her cry.  
  
"I didn't realize Spike and Dawn were so close." Fred comments, she had walked in to witness the moment between the two.  
  
"Neither did I," Angel comments, "I know she never liked me."  
  
"So everything seemed to be all right in there? Dawn's not too upset at Spike for not letting them know that he was alive and well?" Wesley asks.  
  
"She's seems pretty upset," Fred responds, "crying, but not angry."  
  
"Oh she was plenty angry, she gets that same expression that Buffy does, I can't explain it but she gets it." Angel responds, "but so long as Spike isn't a big pile of dust then I guess everything's all right."  
  
"I have to tell Buffy." Dawn states pulling away from Spike, "I can't keep this from her, it would be lying and I can't lie to my sister."  
  
Spike nods, "I understand that you can't lie to her, but you need to tell me tell her."  
  
"When?" Dawn prods.  
  
Spike sighs, "I guess now?"  
  
Dawn grins at Spike and wipes at the tears on her cheeks, "good answer."  
  
"The lil' bit is composing herself." Spike says coming out of the dining room. "Fred can I speak to you for a bit?"  
  
"What's going on Spike?" Fred asks once they leave the group.  
  
"I have to go to Cleveland for awhile, to let Buffy know I'm alive."  
  
Fred nods, "if that's what you have to do."  
  
"I think lil' bit will stake me if I don't come clean with her and all the Scoobies." Spike responds  
  
Fred nods, "I understand Spike, I really do, it's something you have to do."  
  
Spike kisses Fred holding her to im, "I will leave at sun down and I will be back as soon as I can, I love you."  
  
Fred kisses Spike again, "I love you too, be careful all right?"  
  
"Dawn?" Angel calls gently as he walks into the dining room, Dawn has her back to him and Angel doesn't want to startle her.  
  
"Angel." Dawn turns to face him and the remnants of her tears are nearly gone, "I should get going."  
  
"Where are you staying?" Angel asks.  
  
Dawn makes a face and then smiles, "with my Dad, but it's only temporary, until I can find an apartment. No biggie."  
  
"Well you are welcome to stay here, we have plenty of room. And the busier the house is the more the girls like it."  
  
"Angel, thanks for the offer, but I'll be all right on my own." Dawn responds, not wanting to impose upon her sister's ex.  
  
"Well you'd actually be helping us out," Angel tries a different approach, "if you could baby-sit every one in awhile it would balance everything out."  
  
Dawn things for a minute, "you really need a baby-sitter?"  
  
"Not full time, but it would be a load off knowing that we have one extra person around to help."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Very."  
  
"Good, I wasn't looking forward to living with my Dad and his blonde bombshell girlfriend."  
  
"Um, Miss Summers?" One of the younger slayers-in-training, also known as SITs, about Dawn's age interrupts Buffy's personal work-out a couple days later.  
  
"What is it Clarissa?"  
  
"There's someone here to see you."  
  
"Who is it?" Buffy asks, it had been a long day and she really didn't feel like dealing with anyone.  
  
"A guy, British I think."  
  
"Probably a watcher Giles sent over."  
  
"He doesn't look like a watcher."  
  
"Did he say what he wanted?"  
  
"He said he just needed to see Buffy 'right bloody now' when I asked him."  
  
Buffy sighs, they had recently brought in a SIT from England, this was probably an angry father, "all right, thank you Clarissa."  
  
"Walking up the stairs Buffy walks into her office, "how can I..." Immediately taking in the appearance Buffy takes a fighting stance, "who the hell are you?"  
  
"Buffy it's me."  
  
"No, Spike died three years ago, in Sunnydale."  
  
One Week Later  
  
"Next time why don't we just fill the entire bathroom with water?" The twins had convinced Dawn to get into her bathing suit and get a bath with them.  
  
"All right!"  
  
"Fun!"  
  
"No." Dawn laughs.  
  
"When's Uncle Spike getting back?" Alisa questions.  
  
"I don't know, soon I hope." Dawn bites her lip, she hadn't heard from anyone in Cleveland since Spike had left.  
  
Suddenly from the hallway Dawn can hear the raised voices and above all she can hear Gunn asks, "what the hell happened you Spike?"  
  
"All right, that's it for bath time, I think Uncle Spike's home."  
  
Dawn gets out of the tub first rapping her terry-cloth rob around her. Then she wraps the girls in their own towels and grabbing them around the waist she walks into the hall with them. Spike is standing all right outside the door, but that seems to be all he is able to do. He'd obviously been involved in some sort of battle.  
  
Dawn shifts the girls weight and taking a guess she asks, "she wasn't happy was she?" With her words Dawn sets the squirming girls down and continues down the hall.  
  
Dawn was lying on her bed 15 minutes later, she'd changed into pj's and intended to work on the Latin homework she had all ready been assigned. "Dawnie can I come in?" Spike calls after knocking.  
  
"Yeah, come in." Dawn sits up cross-legged on her bed.  
  
"You're not still angry with me are you?"  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "no, was Buffy?"  
  
"She didn't believe me when I said I was really the Spike she knew."  
  
"Is that when she did that?" Dawn gestures at Spike's face, "part of it, when Red could [rove that I was who I am she finished the job. I guess it's needless to say she was angry."  
  
"She's okay though?" Dawn asks.  
  
"She seems different from the last time I saw her."  
  
"It has been three years." Dawn points out.  
  
Spike nods, "that school of hers is amazing. So many slayers."  
  
Dawn nods, "I always loved when I was able to spend time at the school. The slayers are all so different, it's cool getting to know them."  
  
"I promised your sister we'd go back for Christmas, she misses you."  
  
"I miss her too." Dawn nods, "you should get some sleep."  
  
Spike cringes as she moves, "yeah, maybe you're right, I'll see you in the morning."  
  
"Probably not, I have an early class." Dawn responds.  
  
"Believe me, those kids have me and Fred up by now later than 7."  
  
Dawn smiles, "all right, in the morning then."  
  
"Excuse me." When someone runs into Dawn her books go flying out of her hands, glad for her training that allowed her to keep her balance.  
  
Dawn glares at the guy, who is probably a couple years older than her, "pay attention to where you're going."  
  
The guys glares back, "well sorry." He bends over to hand her the books she had dropped. "Ancient Egyptian History." The stranger comments handing Dawn the book back, "who signs up for that?"  
  
"I do." Dawn grasps at the rest of her notebooks and straightens.  
  
"Then I wasn't the only person to sign up for the class."  
  
Dawn stares suspiciously at the person standing in front of her. He was attractive, bright blue eyes and brown hair that he had to brush out of his eyes. "You signed up for Ancient Egyptian History?"  
  
He nods, "one of the many classes that pisses my father off. I'm a senior and he still seems to think I'll change my major to pre-law."  
  
Dawn nods, "my sister wants me to go into anything but the major I want."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Well I haven't declared it, I'm only a freshman, but I want to major in ancient cultures with a minor in ancient and dead languages."  
  
"You're in my Latin class."  
  
Dawn stares at him, "I am?"  
  
"I thought I recognized you. You're a freshman in a senior Latin class? But you seemed almost fluent."  
  
Dawn nods, "yeah."  
  
"Most seniors who take senior Latin struggle, I know I am, but you seemed to know more anyone else in class."  
  
Dawn smiles, "I grew up with an interesting life and most people in my family speak various dead or unusual languages."  
  
"My family is monolingual."  
  
Dawn smiles and nods, "my sister and Xander are too. I'm Dawn by the way."  
  
"Oh, right, I'm Conner." 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Five  
  
One Month Later  
  
"Why don't you get in the bath with us?" Maggie asks pouting at Dawn.  
  
"Because I got a shower earlier and I'm going patrolling with Uncle Spike and Uncle Angel after you guys go to bed."  
  
"When can we go patrol?" Alisa questions.  
  
"The day after never." Dawn responds, suddenly remind herself of Buffy.  
  
Maggie blows raspberries at Dawn, "today's no fun/"  
  
"Why? " Dawn asks.  
  
"Everyone was gone, 'cept for Aunt Fred, but she was workin'." Maggie sighs.  
  
"Yeah." Alisa chimes.  
  
"You guys know that everyone is busy try to fight the Big Bad."  
  
"It's still boring." Alisa retorts.  
  
"Well I'm sorry," Dawn responds, "now lets get your hair washed."  
  
"Can we use yours?" Maggie points to Dawn's orange shampoo bottle.  
  
"Sure." Dawn responds grabbing Alisa and helping her to stand in the tub. Dawn's back was beginning to ache from leaning over into the deep tub. After soaping Alisa's hair she calls, "switch." Dawn grabs at Maggie who slips easily through her fingers.  
  
"Don't wanna wash."  
  
Placing her hand on the wall opposing her Dawn silently curses the bathtub that was not intended to bath young children in. "Get in with us!" Alisa pull at Dawn's shirt.  
  
"Come on guys, knock it off." Dawn begs realizing just how close she is to losing her balance. The knock on the door is the final straw and Dawn lands in the tub with a splash. "Come in!" Dawn calls on the verge of laughter.  
  
"Um, Dawn?" Dawn is beyond startled by Connor sticking his head through the slightly cracked door.  
  
Dawn quickly pulls herself out of the tub, "Connor, what are you going here?"  
  
"A woman downstairs told me to come upstairs to the third door on the left. She didn't mention that it was a bathroom. I didn't mean to interrupt something."  
  
Dawn laughs, "it's fine. We are just about done in here, two little girls need to go to bed."  
  
"But..."  
  
"We've all ready had this discussion." Dawn responds. "Connor you can sit in here or wait in my room, unless you need me right now."  
  
Connor shakes his head, "I'm not in a rush, I'll wait in your room."  
  
"All right."  
  
"Um, where is it?"  
  
"Oh, two more doors down on the right."  
  
Connor nods, "all right."  
  
"I'm sorry about that. If I'd known you were coming we would have skipped baths tonight."  
  
"I tried calling."  
  
"Yeah, Fred's been on the phone and the internet all day. It's fine though, let me change, I'm still soaking wet, they pulled me in." Dawn quickly grabs a pair of pants and another shirt, she'd taken the doors off her closet and had put heavy curtains over them to give her an area to change. Quickly Dawn changes her clothes and then she pulls her wet hair into a pony tail as she changes she asks, "so what's up Connor?"  
  
"As nerdy as this is going to sound I was wondering if you'd read over this stupid short story for Latin."  
  
"Oh," Dawn nods, "sure, that's not problem."  
  
"What's this?" Connor asks lifting up the heavy Turkish spell book Dawn had been pouring over trying to find a spell that would help Angel.  
  
"Oh it's just a book about ancient Turks, in Turkish." Dawn responds realizing just how easy it had become for her to lie to people.  
  
Connor shakes his head, "Turkish, you really amaze me sometimes Dawn."  
  
Dawn blushes, "thanks. So about this story, what's it about?"  
  
"Well the story is actually about a dream I had, it's about two vampires who had a human child." Connor responds. "Dumb, I guess."  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "it sounds interesting."  
  
"So you'll check it out?" Connor asks.  
  
Dawn nods with a smile, "sure, give it here." Dawn reads the short story quickly, about the two vampires who for the most part hated each other and Dawn couldn't help but get teary eyed at the end when the female vampire, near death, staked herself and let the baby live.  
  
"It's a beautiful story Connor." Dawn responds honestly, although in the back of her mind she can't help but think that it could never happen.  
  
Connor smiles at Dawn, "thanks, I don't even know where it comes from."  
  
"What are you doing tonight?" Dawn asks realizing that she no longer felt like patrolling, wrestling with the girls had tired her, although not so tired that she wanted to sit home and do nothing.  
  
Connor shakes his head, "nothing."  
  
"You wanna go out and do something? I've been stuck in studying and baby-sitting."  
  
Connor nods, "all right, it sounds like fun. Want to see a movie?  
  
Dawn makes a face, "I'm not sure why don't we just figure it out as we go along."  
  
"I had a lot of fun tonight." Connor states after walking Dawn to the door.  
  
Dawn nods and smiles, "so did I. We should do it again."  
  
"Maybe without the disappearing drunk." Connor gently touches the bruise forming on Dawn's cheek, she'd had a run in with a vamp and had explained it away saying that it was a drunk who took off when he heard Connor coming.  
  
Dawn looks up at Connor her eyes locking into Connor's deep blue ones, "it doesn't really hurt." Dawn's hand inadvertently cover Connor's and they both stop for a minute until Connor leans in to kiss her.  
  
"What the bloody hell is going on out here?" Spike comes out into the front porch minutes later to find Dawn still kissing Connor.  
  
Dawn quickly jumps away from Connor and she turns to glare at Spike, "Spike!"  
  
"I should go." Connor stutters.  
  
"That's right you better sodding go." Spike responds harshly, "and you better get inside." 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Six  
  
"Spike!" The door slams after Dawn as she storms back into the hotel after saying a beyond embarrassed good-bye to Connor.  
  
"Lil' bit calm down," Spike urges.  
  
"No! I will not calm down Spike, and don't try to win me over with my childhood pet name!" Dawn exclaims, "I'm not a little kid anymore!"  
  
"What's going on?" Angel, along with Fred, Lorne, Gunn and Wes walk into the lobby.  
  
"I saw that kid practically mauling Dawn on the front porch!" Spike exclaims.  
  
"That's not it!" Dawn exclaims, "that's Spike's version of what happened."  
  
"Who is he Dawn?" Fred questions.  
  
"He's just a friend from school, we have a lot of the same classes and we are interested in a lot of the same things."  
  
"Is he a vampire? He might be a vampire. You have a past with vampires. I was just protecting you." Spike states.  
  
"No, God Spike!" Dawn exclaims frustration breaking through her voice. "The first time we met was in broad daylight and I've seen him during the day a million times and even if he was a vampire I can defend myself, I'm not a little kid."  
  
"Why don't we all get some sleep?" Fred suggest, "it's late and we don't need to talk about this now."  
  
"I can't believe he did that." Dawn sighs when she and Lorne are the only ones left in the lobby.  
  
"Spike cares about you Dawnie, and he's only worried."  
  
"I know," Dawn sighs, "but it doesn't change the fact that I'm 19-years-old. Part of the reason I left my sister was because I didn't want to be treated like I was little anymore, and sometimes it feels like Spike still only seems me as the 15-year-old he promised my sister he'd protect."  
  
"Get some sleep, everything looks better in the morning."  
  
Dawn woke up late the next morning, slightly surprised that the girls hadn't been in to wake her up at the crack of dawn. With a sigh Dawn sits up in bed and reaches for the phone next to her bed and dials Connor's apartment number, "hi, Connor? Hi, I'm so, so sorry about last night."  
  
"It's all right Dawn, don't worry about it." Connor responds.  
  
"No, it's not all right, that was Spike he's like an over-protective father or brother, I'm not exactly sure which, he dated my sister sort of, it's just kind of a complicated mess. But he won't bother you again."  
  
"It's really not a problem Dawn, I understand." Connor responds, "we can go out again if you want."  
  
"Sure, we can make plans for tonight if you want."  
  
After going downstairs Dawn found that everyone was all ready in the middle of breakfast and then everyone went their separate ways, Dawn, Angel and the kids went downstairs to the sparring area that had been set up for the girls since they had been sparring for as long as they could walk. Dawn stands next to Angel as they both watch the girls fight, "are you going to ignore Spike all day?" Angel questions, "because you know it was kind of funny."  
  
"I'm going out with him again tonight, are you going to embaress me too?"  
  
Angel shakes his head, "no. I'll leave that to Spike."   
  
Dawn can't help but smile at Angel's comment and the two turn their attention back to the girls, "Maggie's really strong Angel," Dawn comments, "she could be a slayer. We should get Willow here to check it out, the test is really simple, it's good to know."  
  
Angel nods, "I see it too. I want to wait though. It would be hard for Alyssa if Maggie is a slayer and she isn't, Maggie would have to leave to train in Cleveland."  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "not if Alyssa trained as a watcher."  
  
"I want them to have normal loves, not the life of a slayer."  
  
"Maybe they won't have the life of a slayer here, but their lives aren't going to be normal either." Dawn comments but she knows that the conversation is dropped and they both focus in on Maggie and Alyssa. Maggie has backed Alyssa into the corner and Angel is about to call her off before Maggie forgets about her strength and hurts Alyssa when Maggie flies away from Alyssa landing several feet away.  
  
"Damn," Angel sighs, "that's new."  
  
Half an hour later the girls are taking naps, Alyssa is in Dawn's room and Maggie is in their bedroom, both girls were shaken up and had willingly taken their nap. "What are we going to do?" Spike asks.  
  
Angel faces Dawn, "I guess you'll have to call Buffy and try to get a hold of Willow wherever she is."  
  
Dawn nods, "all right." She walks over to the telephone and dials her sister's home number and after a few minutes of conversation she rejoins the group. "Willow just got in from China last night, but she will catch the firs flight home."  
  
"What do we do with them now?" Angel asks.  
  
"Wait," Dawn sighs, "we really don't have much of a choice."  
  
"What's your family like?" Dawn asks in the middle of their dinner.  
  
"My dad is lawyer," Connor responds. "My mom stays at home, she does about a million charity functions throughout the month, she's always doing something. And I have a little sister, nothing really interesting. What's your family like? You don't really talk about them, all I really know is that you have a sister."  
  
"It's nowhere near as traditional as yours is. My parents got divorced when I was nine and my mom, uh, died when I was fourteen and I was raised by my sister, Buffy. But I have a large extended family, it's taught me that blood isn't everything."  
  
"You must have had an interesting childhood."  
  
"I learned when I was 14 that my childhood wasn't everything I thought it was but I got used to the way my life really was."  
  
"I would love to have had such an interesting life," Connor comments, "do you think I'll ever meet your family?"  
  
"Actually you may get to meet one of them. My sister's best friend Willow, who lived with us for awhile, is coming out for a short visit. Maybe you'll get to meet her then, she's really nice and uber-smart."  
  
"Well I can't wait to meet her then."  
  
When Connor pulls in front of the Hyperion he questions, "so can I walk you to the door or will Spike throw me out again?"  
  
"You can come in," Dawn responds, "I might be able to introduce you to Angel and Spike who are probably still up." Walking into the hotel Dawn finds that Angel is pouring over texts.  
  
"Hey Angel." Dawn greets softly.  
  
"Hey Dawn," Angel respond snot bothering to look up from the book he is pouring over. "How was..." Angel finally looks up and his eyes lock onto Connor and he whispers, "Connor." 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six  
  
AN: sorry about the wrong spelling change last chapter. Alisa's name is spelled that way, not Alyssa like I did last chapter, sorry if it confused people, I have a cousin who's name is spelled that way and it was just her first birthday...anyway off on a tangent, hope you like this chapter!  
  
"What's up with Captain Forehead?" Spike asks the next morning at breakfast.  
  
Fred shrugs, "he's been in his bedroom brooding all morning. He wouldn't read to the girls when they got up this morning like he usually does."  
  
"You have any idea lil' bit?" Spike asks.  
  
Dawn shrugs as well, "I introduced him to Connor and he was all bad moody afterwards, so Connor went home and I went to bed."  
  
"It's Angel he's probably just worried about the girls, same as we are." Gunn suggests.  
  
"Yeah," Dawn nods.  
  
"So has Willow called with her flight information?" Spike asks.  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "nope."  
  
"Well she better get here soon because I want to know what the bloody hell is going on."  
  
"Uncle Spike I thought you said you were going to stop saying that?" Maggie peers around the corner of the kitchen and they can hear Alisa's giggle behind her sister.  
  
"Oh bugger." Spike exerts his frustration, only causing the girls to giggle harder. "You didn't hear that!"  
  
"Yes we did!" Both girls chorus and they take off in the opposite direction, egging Spike on for a game of "catch us", their favorite.  
  
"I'm going to get the both of you!" Spike calls but stops short in the lobby when he is faced with an entire group, most of which he recognizes.  
  
The group all wear their own versions of amused expression, with the exception of the two that Spike doesn't know, "having fun Spike?" Buffy questions arching an eyebrow and grinning at the scene before her as both girls wrap their arms around Spike's legs, staring at the strangers.  
  
"We didn't expect you so early." Spike comments.  
  
"We can see that." Giles clears his throat.  
  
Spike leans over and whispers into the girls ears and what was meant to be quiet turns into the girls yelling and running toward the dining room, "they're here! They're here!"  
  
The group emerges quickly from the dining room with the girls staying in the other room, "Buffy!" Dawn calls hugging her sister tightly, "what are you all doing here?"  
  
"We came to see you. Xander had some things to take care of in Africa and he couldn't get back in time or he would've been here." Buffy responds.  
  
Dawn nods, "well I guess I'm best qualified to introduced everyone," leaving the two Spikes doesn't know until the end. "This is Magdalena, she's a slayer, and this is Brygid, she's Willow's girlfriend." Everyone exchanges pleasantries before they get down to business.  
  
"Spike told us about the girls when he was last out, so we can run a simple test on both of the girls to see what's what." Willow states.  
  
"Maybe we should meet the girls." Magdalena suggests.  
  
"All right," Dawn nods, "'Lisa, Maggie why don't you come out here for a minutes." Both girls walk slowly out and Maggie whispers in Dawn's ear. Dawn smiles down at the girls then, "they aren't clients, it's all right." The girls look shyly at the people in front of them, they had been taught that they needed to be scarce when a client was around. "This is my sister Buffy, remember you talk to her on the phone sometimes."  
  
Both girls nod and murmur, "hello."  
  
"Why are you here?" Maggie questions.  
  
"We're going to find out what happened between you two yesterday." Willow responds.  
  
As if reminded of what happened the day before, something their young minds hadn't thought about, the girls step away from each other and neither looks at the other as if suddenly afraid of the other. Angel comes downstairs then and the group is covered with an uncomfortable silence that spurs from Angel and Buffy.  
  
"We might as well make peace." Buffy states. "We're on the same side now that you left Wolfram and Hart."  
  
"Can we just get on with this?" Angel asks, his voice cool.  
  
"I'll show you to my lab." Fred suggests to Willow.  
  
Willow nods and the group follow as she explains, "what I've set up is a mix of magic and science. For record sight we have all of the slayers' blood samples and magically I can compare all of them. We set it up hoping that we could find some common thread between all of the slayers, but as far as we know there isn't one yet. I'm going to need to draw a little blood from both of the girls."  
  
Maggie clings fearfully to Spike then and Alisa reaches instinctively to Angel and both vampires hold the girls tightly as the wince, but don't cry, at the pinch that comes when Willow removes the blood. "All right," Willow states, "it'll take a few minutes for the results to come back, so if you guys want to take a seat I'll be out to tell you."  
  
Everyone nods and move toward the living room, the group is silent with the exception of Magdalena and Dawn catching up, the two had been close friends before Dawn had left and Dawn felt bad for not keeping in touch with her friend. "Things have been the same old, same old," Magdalena is saying through her thick Spanish accent, "we have had about the same vampire count as usual but nothing apocalyptically bad."  
  
Dawn nods, "yeah, everything been's quiet here too, just run of the mill demons, but they keep us on our toes."  
  
"The girls look like they do too." Magdalena comments.  
  
Dawn smiles, "they do, but in a better way."  
  
"You look happy here," Magdalena states.  
  
Dawn smiles, "I am. It's hard to explain, like I've staked my independence for the first time in my life."  
  
Magdalena nods, "I get that, and I think you're lucky to not be a slayer."  
  
Dawn nods, "I know. I still miss home though, but if I like it here, I'm building my life here."  
  
Willow comes into the room then, "well I have the results."  
  
"Well what are they?" Spike demands.   
  
Short chapter I know, but hopefully the next chapter will be longer. 


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
"Their mother's not a slayer." Willow declares. "They aren't children anyone who's blood sample they have on file, she's not the daughter of a slayer."  
  
"Angel are you sure you don't know anyone who could be their parents?" Buffy asks.  
  
"Right after two and a half years I've been holding back, in all reality I know who their parents are." Angel snaps.  
  
Buffy looks slightly shocked and hurt by Angel's comment and Willow brings the focus back to the children. "There are simple tests we can run on both of the twins, I want to test both of them individually for slayer abilities and for magical abilities."  
  
"I thought that's what you were doing?" Fred questions.  
  
Willow shakes her head, "no that was just a blood test. The slayer test and magic test are different, who should I start with?"  
  
Spike and Angel exchange glances, "we can start with Alisa," Angel volunteers standing up with Alisa in his arms.  
  
"Where are they takin' 'Lisa?" Maggie asks looking up at Spike.  
  
"They'll be right back." Spike responds.  
  
Maggie looks confused for a minute and then wraps her arms around Spike and buries her face in his neck whispering, "this is dumb, I just wan' play."  
  
"In awhile lil' bit, we just have to take care of this stuff first." Spike states as Angel comes back out of the lab without Alisa.  
  
"She said she could do it on her own," Angel responds.  
  
"She's got an independent streak, doesn't she." Magdalena comments to Dawn.  
  
Dawn nods, "Alisa is the ringleader of the two, Maggie likes to follow Alisa's lead."  
  
A very long half an hour passes and when it passes Alisa comes running out of the room and launches herself into Angel's arms, "that was fun!" Alisa declares.  
  
"Was it?" Angel asks.  
  
Alisa nods, "I got to do lotsa fun stuff."  
  
"Good," Angel nods and when Willow appears he asks, "well?"  
  
Willow grins, "she's a slayer. 100 percent slayer, the youngest we've found yet, but no magic inclination."  
  
"Wha'sa slayer?" Alisa asks watching Angel.  
  
"It's a little complicated to explain, we'll explain it when you're older." Angel responds.  
  
"Older's 'tupid." Alisa pouts.  
  
"Alisa Cordelia, we don't say stupid." Angel scolds gently.  
  
"Well, it is." Alisa crosses her arms, "I wan' down." When Angel sets her back on her feet she scurries over to Dawn places herself in Dawn's lap.  
  
"Alisa, what do you say?" Dawn asks.  
  
"I'm sorry for saying 'tupid." Alisa responds and hurries back over to Angel, gently kissing his cheek  
  
The group of adults try to hold back their laughter and Willow finally asks, "so should we start with Maggie?"  
  
Maggie shakes her head, "don' wanna." Maggie clings to Spike.  
  
"Maggie, sweetie you have to go." Fred encourages from next to Maggie and Spike.  
  
Maggie looks on the verge of tears for a second, "can Uncle Spike come?"  
  
Everyone looks at Willow who nods, "That's fine."  
  
Once Willow, Spike and Maggie disappear Giles brings up Alisa, "we can take Alisa and train her, her age might actually be an advantage. She'll have more training by the time we let her fight than the other girls would."  
  
"No." Angel states firmly, hoping not to alert Alisa to the fact that the other's want to leave. "They won't be training in Ohio."  
  
"All the slayers we find live in Ohio," Giles respond.  
  
"I'm a slayer," Alisa looks up at Angel her blue eyes shimmering with tears, "I don' wanna go!"  
  
"You're not going anywhere," Angel assures.  
  
"If you are worries about separating the twins we can always take Maggie with us even if she isn't a slayer, we can train her as a watcher." Giles insists.  
  
"No," Angel responds firmly, "they aren't going anywhere. Wes can train Alisa and Maggie if need be. We aren't some ignorant parents, we are aware of what it would take to raise a slayer, maybe two."  
  
"The school in Ohio is about uniting the slayers to fight as one, the school is the best place for Alisa, she will be with other kids like her." Buffy forces the subject.  
  
"No!" Angel exclaims jumping up with Alisa in his arms, "you aren't taking them away from me, from us. I won't loose them."  
  
Spike enters the room then, "what's going on here?"  
  
"Spike," Buffy attempts to use him to convince Angel, "you've seen the school. Can you convince Angel that the school would be the best place for both girls."  
  
Spike shakes his head, "I'm with Angel on this one pet, the girls aren't leaving."  
  
"Great, now you guys are teaming up against me." Buffy storms out of the room with her words.  
  
"I'll go." Dawn offers standing up and following her sister out of the room.  
  
"Dawn, you've seen the school, you lived there, you mean to tell me that you don't think it's the best place?" Buffy asks.  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "for most of the girls I do. But not for these two, you don't understand how much Alisa and Maggie mean to Spike and Angel. How much they mean to everyone here. And how much everyone here means to them."  
  
"It's just..."  
  
"This is hard for you." Dawn supplies.  
  
"Yeah, and I can't explain why." Buffy sighs.  
  
"Could it be because they are both moving on and you have be here to witness it." Buffy shrugs at her sister. "Because that's okay."  
  
Buffy sighs again, "all right, maybe in this instance letting Angel's team handle them is the best idea."  
  
Dawn hugs her sister, "good, now should we get back in there and wait with everyone else?"  
  
Buffy nods and as they walk back into the room Willow is walking out with Maggie holding her hand and skipping. "Wasn't it cool?" Alisa asks.  
  
"So cool!" Maggie responds enthusiastically.  
  
"Maggie proved that she has definite magical powers and without the proper training and enforced I think she has the power to be dangerous...at the school..."  
  
"No." Buffy stops the fight this time, "the twins can be properly trained here and we can check in every once and awhile on their progress." 


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
Three years later  
  
Maggie and Alisa hold each other's hands and then with their free hands hold onto either Connor or Dawn's hand as the four walk through the park. Dawn glances to her right taking in the three people there, both girls are telling Connor excitedly about their school play that Dawn had offered to direct. The girls absolutely loved Connor, as much as anyone back at the hotel, and everyone at the hotel, with the exception of Angel, adored Connor as well, he just seemed to fit easily into their little family. Even Spike, despite their first meeting, got along really well with Connor and no one could understand or get to the bottom of why Angel kept his distance but it was just a fact that Dawn had learned to live with.  
  
"How about I buy you three ice cream?" Connor offers.  
  
"Yay! Can we Dawn?" The girls ask looking at Dawn.  
  
Dawn nods, "sounds fine to me."  
  
"Why don't you guys run ahead to the car," Connor points to the ice cream stand a couple of feet ahead of them, "and pick out the flavor you want?" Once the girls hurry ahead Connor takes Dawn's hand and asks, "so are plans are still on for tonight?"  
  
Dawn nods, "unless you need to change them."  
  
"I'm not the one who has senior year finals coming out." Connor responds.  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "they aren't for a couple of weeks. When do you want to pick me up?"  
  
"8:30 all right, right after bedtime?" Connor asks.  
  
Dawn nods, "that's fine."  
  
"We're home!" Maggie calls when she and Alisa lead the way into the hotel.  
  
Fred is the only one to appear, "girls why don't you go do your homework?" Fred suggests, looking slightly preoccupied.  
  
"All right," the girls hurry off to their rooms to complete their homework like Dawn had made them promise they would do if they came to the park with her and Connor.  
  
"What's going on Fred?" Dawn asks trying to read Fred's nervous expression.  
  
"Come into the office and we'll explain." Fred states and once Fred and Dawn are in there with everyone else Fred explains, "a woman called today, she says that she is the girls' birth mother."  
  
"I still don't really think it's her." Gunn states.  
  
"She wants to see the girls." Fred continues as if she's all ready heard what Gunn has to say.  
  
"She's probably making it up," Spike adds.  
  
"I'm afraid she may want the kids back." Fred sighs.  
  
"It'll be all right," Dawn reassures, "Fred you can run a test to see if she is telling the truth about being their mother and she never said anything about taking the kids. So don't jump to the conclusion that that is what she wants and don't freak out because freaking out will only freak the girls out."  
  
The room seems calmed by Dawn's words and they set to work coming up with a plan of action; Angel, Dawn and Fred would meet the woman and Fred would run the test as Wes, Spike and Gunn stood guard.  
  
"All right, now that we have a plan the girls need dinner and to get to bed. I have a date with Connor, we need to keep everything normal for the girls so they can get some sleep and don't worry themselves sick.  
  
"I don't wanna go to bed!" The yelling rings down the stairs as Dawn hurries out the door before the girls realize that Dawn is leaving. They had been cranky for most of the evening and now were resisting Lorne's attempts to get them to go to bed, they want Dawn to tell them a story and to give them their bath and to stay with them until they fell asleep.  
  
"You look fantastic." Connor comments.  
  
"All right cup cake," Lorne looks down at Maggie whom he has a firm hold on, "where's is your sister?"  
  
Maggie giggles and shrugs, "I don't know, somewhere."  
  
"I think you know exactly where she is." Spike responds, "Alisa Cordelia you better get out here right now, it's past your bedtime!"  
  
"Gotcha," Spike's knees nearly give out when Alisa comes crashing on top of him obviously from the ceiling. "You young lady are in a lot of trouble."  
  
"Are you all right?" Dawn asks once the waiter has taken their orders and Connor is still almost silent.  
  
"Yes," Connor nods firmly, "yes."  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"We've been together for over four years and you're about to graduate from college and you're going to be starting a new life, I've got a new job."  
  
Dawn's breath catches in her throat, she knows what's coming as she nods and whispers, "yes."  
  
"Dawn I want to spend the rest of my life with you, will you marry me?"  
  
Dawn's grin is bright, "I will." Connor kisses Dawn, but when they pull apart Dawn states, "but there are some things I need to explain to you before we get married, I think we need to talk about it now." Dawn takes a deep breath, "there are some things you don't know about me that..."  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner, but you have a phone call Miss Summers."  
  
Dawn sighs, "all right," and she accepts the cordless phone. "Hello."  
  
"Dawn, I'm so sorry to call during your date but there's an emergency here. Maggie...she...uh...could you just come home? Please?"  
  
"Do you want me to come in?" Connor asks when he pulls in front of the hotel.  
  
Dawn shakes her head, unsure of what exactly is going on inside the hotel, "it's all right." Dawn leans over and kisses him, "I'll call you tomorrow, all right?"  
  
Connor nods, "all right, I love you."  
  
"I love you too." Dawn returns before she gets out of the car.  
  
"Dawn! Dawn! Dawn!" Both girls come flying at Dawn, crying.   
  
"My head hurts," Maggie is crying as she clings to Dawn, "my head really, really hurts."  
  
"Maggie falled down and then made up a story." Alisa announces as she too clings to Dawn.  
  
"All right," Dawn disentangles herself from Alisa and stands up, easily lifting Maggie with her as Wesley comes into the room, "what's going on?" Maggie hiccups and sniffles as she buries her face into Dawn's neck.  
  
"We think that Maggie is our new connection to The Powers That Be." Wesley responds, "Spike, Angel and Gunn went to check it out."  
  
An hour later the girls are both asleep on Dawn's lap, Dawn is gently smoothing Maggie's hair when Fred comes in from the office where she had been camped pouring over some books. "Hi Dawn, I'm sorry about ruining your date."  
  
Maggie hiccups in her sleep and Dawn rubs her back gently, "it's all right, this was important."  
  
"Did you have fun?"  
  
Dawn takes a deep breath, "yeah, Connor proposed." Dawn holds out her left hand to show off the delicate diamond ring Connor had slipped onto her finger.  
  
"Oh Dawn," Fred breathes, "it's beautiful. I'm so sorry."  
  
Dawn makes a face, "I was about to tell Connor about the part of my life that he doesn't know. About how I wasn't one of the people who fled Sunnydale before it fell into that freak sinkhole but that I was the one who stayed behind fighting the freak characters who belong in a lame sci-fi movie. So it was kind of a relief really, I need time to figure out how I am going to tell him everything."  
  
Fred pats Dawn's hand, "I'm sure you will figure out what to tell him"  
  
Just then the guys walk into the hotel and Fred rushes to Spike, "well?"  
  
Spike wraps an arm around Fred as he declares, "Maggie's vision was true, a gang of vampires attacked a homeless shelter. This is bullocks, the PTB are forcing painful visions onto a small child."  
  
"We should get some sleep," Fred suggests, "it's been a long day for everyone. And tomorrow will be just as long." 


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Dawn wakes up early the next morning with Maggie's arm slung around her waist, the poor girl had woken up when they had attempted to put her to bed the night before and had refused to sleep in her own bed. "Dawn?" Maggie is awake as well.  
  
"Yeah Maggie?" Dawn asks sitting up in bed.  
  
"Alisa said that Wes said that we are meeting our mother today, is she telling the truth?"  
  
Dawn nods, "yes, you will be, is that okay?"  
  
Maggie thinks for a second, "other kids live with their mommies and daddies but I like where we live, she's not going to take us away from here is she?"   
  
Dawn shakes her head, "we won't let her do that."  
  
Maggie nods, "alright then, it's okay."  
  
Dawn's bedside phone rings than and leaning across Maggie she answers it, it's Connor. "Hi, yeah everything is fine, Maggie just wasn't feeling well. No she's fine now, she's right here. All right." Holding the phone out to Maggie Dawn says, "Connor wants to talk to you."  
  
"Hi Connor!" Maggie greets cheerfully. "No, I'm okay now. Okay. Bye Connor." Maggie hands the phone back to Dawn.  
  
"Hi. No I can't do anything today, the girls mother should be here early. Why don't you come over after you go to church with your family tomorrow? You can have lunch with us and meet their mom. All right, I'll see you then. I love you. Bye."  
  
Within an hour the girls have been fed and dressed and everyone is waiting for the woman's arrival, taking their various positions. She arrives exactly one time and Dawn takes in her appearance immediately, she looks like the girls with shortish brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, her facial features are very similar to the twins as well and the only different Dawn notices are that her eyes are dark, not the light blue of the twins. She's obviously several years older than Dawn and posture and clothing give away that she is obviously upper class and well educated and she walks straight toward Angel.  
  
Placing her hand before her she shakes Angel's hand, "you must be Mr. Angel, we spoke on the phone."  
  
The girls giggle at this but Angel nods, "that's right, and you must be Tracey James'."  
  
She nods, "yes." She gives no sign of nervousness but Angel is able to pick up on her pounding heart.  
  
"This is Dawn Summers and Winifred Burkle." The woman all exchange glances and finally Angel turns to the girls, "and these two are Alisa Cordelia and Maggie Rose."  
  
"I'm sorry to do this Ms. James," Fred speaks up, "but I have a maternity test set up, we mean no offense but we don't want to put the girls in any danger."  
  
Tracey nods, "of course."  
  
With her agreement Fred leads everyone to her office where Willow had set up the testing equipment that she had given Fred for Christmas. The test goes quickly and Fred easily confirms that Tracey is the biological mother of Alisa and Maggie. "All right guys," Angel calls after Fred's declaration, "you can come out."  
  
Everyone files out from their various spots and Fred turns toward them, "Tracey this is Gunn, Wesley and Spike. Guys this is Tracey, we finished the test and she is the twins' mother."  
  
Everyone exchanges pleasantries and Dawn offers, "how about tea for everyone, give us a chance to get to know you Tracey."  
  
Tracey nods, "tea would be great."  
  
Everyone heads toward the dining room with Maggie and Alisa holding onto Dawn's hands, dragging their feet as they walk a yawn or two escaping their mouths, "I'm sorry about the girls," Dawn states, "they didn't get a lot of sleep last night and they are a little less awake then they usually are. They may fall asleep."  
  
Tracey nods, "I understand."  
  
Once Dawn comes into the dining room with the tea and cookies she had prepared her prediction has come true, Maggie is in Gunny's lap and Alisa has curled on Wesley's, both asleep. "I don't mean to be forward," Wesley states once everyone is around the table, "but would you mind explaining to us how you came to bring the girls to us? It's something we've ben curious about for years."  
  
"It's a long weird story that I don't exactly understand it myself." Tracey responds.  
  
"Believe me," Gunn assures, "what seems weird to you might not seem as weird to us."  
  
"All right," Tracey nods, "well I found out I was pregnant at the end of my freshman year of college. Before I told anyone that I was pregnant a woman approached me and told me that my babies were fated to save the world and that when they were older they would be "special" with special powers. She told me that she knew some people who could take care of them like I couldn't, so I didn't tell anyone that I was pregnant." Tracey takes a deep breath before continuing, "she stayed with my for seven months right up until the twins were born, and when they were old enough we brought them here and the instant we set foot on this property she was gone."  
  
"Who was she?" Spike asks.  
  
"She never told me her really name, she just told me to call her Q.C."  
  
Angel's eyes narrow, "wha'd she look like."  
  
"Pretty," Tracey states, "very pretty. Brown hair and eyes, fairly tall maybe 5'7-5'8 and she was, how do I say it, unique. She was nice but could be temperamental."  
  
"Cordelia." Angel states simply standing up and walking out of the room, his face had all ready taken on it's broody look.  
  
Instinctively Gunn and Wesley hug both girls closely, they were just another thing Cordelia had left them with and Fred gently brushes a tear off her cheek Spike putting a comforting hand around her shoulder.  
  
"I don't understand." Tracey confesses, "who's Cordelia?"  
  
"Cordelia was a friend of the families," Dawn explains, "she passed away six years ago."  
  
"Well then this couldn't be her because Q.C. wasn't dead or, or a ghost."   
  
"Was this her?" Angel reappears with a framed picture of Cordelia, Wesley, Fred and Gunn.  
  
Tracey stares at the picture, "well, yes."  
  
"It figures," Gunn remarks, "the PTB have Cordy working even when she's dead."  
  
The group is silent for awhile and then Dawn asks the question that has skipped everyone's mind, "if you don't mind my asking, where's the twins' father?"  
  
"He's not in the picture." Tracey responds simply, "he went to a different college and when I didn't go home the summer after freshman year we split up. Because I knew that if he knew about the babies he would want to get married and he would have put his entire life on hold and I knew that Q.C. or Cordelia or whoever, was right and that I should let someone else raise the girls."  
  
Before the conversation can progress and further Maggie begins tossing in Gunn's arms and she wakes up with a screech, sweat dots her forehead and her face is pale. Maggie immediately holds her arms out to Dawn, "Dawnie I want you."  
  
Dawn quickly takes the girl into her arms holding her tightly whispering soothing words to her and once Maggie has calmed down she asks, "what'd you see sweetie?"  
  
"A big," Maggie holds her arms out to show the bigness, "big vampur at the big ugly building on the way to school."  
  
"What else love?" Spike asks crouching down in front of Maggie.  
  
"He was gonna eat her!" Maggie cries.  
  
"All right, it's all right Maggie they're going to take care of it." Dawn assures rubbing Maggie's back.  
  
"We'll be back." Gunn, Spike and Angel head for the garage that houses the cars Angel had kept after his stint with Wolfram and Hart.   
  
"This is all a little to much for me," Tracey states, "do you mind if I lay down for awhile?"  
  
"No of course not," Fred shakes her head, she had been handed Alisa, who seems to be oblivious to her sisters pain in her sleep, "I'll show you to your room."  
  
When Fred comes back downstairs Maggie has fallen back asleep after Dawn has given her some children's aspirin, Dawn's shirt balled in Maggie's fists. Fred had left Alisa in her bedroom while she was upstairs and she comments softly, "Cordelia's visions nearly killed her before she became half demon."  
  
Dawn stops rubbing Maggie's back mid-rub at this, "do you think Maggie's life is in danger?"  
  
"I'm worried," Fred responds, "because as far as we know they are completely human. Unless there is something Tracey isn't telling us about her family or the father's. None of the tests have shown us that they are anything but human."  
  
"But the powers they wouldn't have sent her here with the visions..." Dawn stops mid-sentence because she knew that the reasons behind why the powers did things was never clear. 


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
Dawn is up earlier than the girls the next morning and she uses it to her advantage setting about to make breakfast. The day and night before had been interesting, not bad and only slightly awkward as Tracey tried to get to know her daughters. She'd done fairly well especially at bath time when she had helped Dawn, the girls had been excited for someone new to tell all about their school and friends. But once again Tracey had taken to bed when Alisa pulled the towel wrack off the wall with out an effort and it had to be explained to Tracey about Alisa's superhuman strength. Because of the days excitement the girls had gone to bed fairly early leaving Dawn with nothing to do for hours thanks to her lack of sleep.   
  
"Good morning," Connor startles Dawn the next morning when he lets himself in the kitchen.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Dawn asks taking in his usual Sunday church clothes, "you should be at church."  
  
"I went to first service today," Connor responds kissing Dawn. "I woke up craving your Sunday pancakes, which are extremely motivating, and got me to the sunrise service."  
  
Dawn wraps her arms around Connor's neck, "well I appreciate the surprise. It's exactly what I needed."  
  
"Eew! Dawnie's kissing Connor!" Maggie's announcement several minutes later causes the two to move apart quickly.  
  
"We do that sometimes," Connor responds with a smile and holding out his arms Maggie leaps into them. "So how are you?"  
  
Maggie thinks for a second, "hungry."  
  
"Me too." Connor agrees, "and I think I interrupted Dawn making her famous pancakes."  
  
"I like pancakes!" Maggie declares.  
  
"Me too, where's your sister?" Connor asks, knowing as well as Dawn that they _always_ got up at the same time.  
  
"She went to wake Tracey up, she's our Mommy but we don't have to call her Mommy and she's not going to make us go away." Maggie states in a long stream of words.  
  
"Oh Maggie," Dawn sighs, "why didn't you let her sleep?"  
  
Maggie shrugs, "was 'Lisa's idea."  
  
Dawn sighs just as Tracey walks in and she states, "I'm so sorry, I had no idea she would..." She stops her apology as soon as she takes in Tracey's ashen appearance. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Connor," Tracey seems to barely manage the words.  
  
The instant Connor responds with, "Tracey," Dawn knows exactly what is going on and she drops the wooden spoon she had been stirring her batter with, and it lands on the floor with a clatter.  
  
The entire kitchen seems to go on pause, the twins even remain still unknowing of what is going on between the adults but understanding that all three are upset. Dawn makes the first move, rushing out of the kitchen and brushing past Fred on her way.  
  
"Dawn, what's wrong?" Fred asks but when Dawn doesn't responds Fred hurries into the kitchen. "What's going on?"  
  
Connor is looking down at the girls when Fred comes in, "can you guys go watch TV for a little while, we need to have some adult time."  
  
Once the girls have left the kitchen Connor asks Tracey, "you better start explaining quickly."  
  
"I didn't know what to do, how to tell you..." Tracey's stuttering tells Fred everything she needs to know.

* * *

Dawn sits in one of the many unused closets in the hotel, her knees pulled to her chest as she cries. She's been there nearly 30 minutes before the door is open and Angel looks down at her, "Angel, please, can you just leave me alone?"  
  
Angel shakes his head and ducking down he closes the closet door behind him as he squeezes into the side of the closet opposite Dawn, "Fred filled me on this morning's events. But I know you, and I have the feeling that your not just crying because Connor is the father of the twins, so what's going on?"  
  
"Connor proposed." Dawn sniffs, she'd wanted to tell Buffy before she told anyone else but Buffy wasn't around at this current moment and she needed to talk to someone.  
  
"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?" Angel asks.  
  
"I thought it was." Dawn responds, "I said yes, but now I'm reconsidering."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"There are so many secrets between Connor and me. There's always been the entire half of my life I never told him about and now there's his..."  
  
"Connor wasn't keeping a secret from you," Angel assures, "he never knew about the girls, everything Tracey told us before is exactly how it was. And as toy our secret, I have a feeling he'll understand."   
  
"I'm nervous," Dawn confesses. "There never was a good time to tell him about demons, vampires and slaying. I wasn't expecting him to propose, and then I was going to tell him when he did propose but I get the call about Maggie and now I don't know."  
  
"Do you want to marry Connor?" Angel inquires.  
  
"Yes, I do. But I don't know if he will after he finds out."  
  
"He might," Angel encourages, "especially if he loves you. Because if he really loves you then he'll accept the crazy part of your life. Besides I'm sure he has his suspicions, in all the years you've been dating me he's never seen Spike or me in the sunlight, odd things like that."  
  
"I never thought _you'd_ ever defend Connor." Dawn states.  
  
"I don't hate Connor. And if I know anything about anything I know that you only get on chance at love and you should always take advantage of it."  
  
Briefly, after Angel's words Dawn can't help but wonder if he means Cordelia or Buffy but Angel brings her thoughts off of the possibilities when he suggests, "maybe we should get back in there. You can't hide from Connor forever." And stepping out of the closet Angel helps Dawn out just as Connor walks into the hallway.  
  
"I'll leave you two alone," Angel states before walking down the hallway.  
  
"I had no idea about the girls." Connor states.  
  
"I know," Dawn nods. "But we need to have a long talk before either one of us can consider getting married." Pulling the ring off her finger Dawn holds it out to him, "you should take this."  
  
Connor shakes his head, "I want you to have it, until we figure things out."  
  
"We'll have to wait until whenever Tracey leaves and then we can get through all of this before we can sort out our mess."  
  
Connor nods, "you're right."  
  
Connor and Dawn moves quietly back towards the kitchen where Angel and the girls are working on the pancakes, "where's Tracey?" Dawn asks.  
  
"She went to lie back down until breakfast." Fred states.  
  
Alisa and Maggie giggle and Alisa states, "that's silly, she just got up."  
  
When the pancakes are about finished Fred and Connor are setting the table and Dawn instructs Maggie, "why don't you go get Tracey up again, tell her it's time for breakfast. And Alisa go get everyone else up."  
  
"Not Spike," Fred requests, "he was out patrolling late..."  
  
Maggie and Tracey are the last to come down to breakfast and everyone is waiting on them to begin eating when Maggie comes downstairs with a manila folder with a white note attached, an entrance that causes everyone to rise to their feet. Dawn asks, "Maggie what do you have there? Can I read the note?"  
  
Maggie shakes her head, "I can read it." Take a deep breath she says, "I went good-bye but Maggie can have lots and lots of ice cream!"  
  
"I don't think that's what it says, sorry Mag," Dawn takes the envelope from Maggie and removes the note. Dawn quickly scans over the note and with suppressed excited tone she reads, "dear everyone, thank you so much for taking care of and raising my daughters. You've done a better job than I could have even hoped, a fact I can take with me knowing that they will always be loved more than a lot of people in this world and will become wonderful women. I don't want to disturb there lives so I slipped away while I have the chance but I hope you will make sure that my, no our, daughters have a mother out there who loves them and wants what's best for them. In the envelope are the papers terminating my parental rights, all of my signatures are notarized and legal; you can rest assured now that I won't show up a couple years down the road wanting my daughters back, I am content in knowing that they are being well taken care of."  
  
Gunn quickly takes the envelop from Dawn and scanning the papers he responds, "from what legal mojo I still have left in my brain these look legal."  
  
The girls not really caring about anything being said turn to Connor and chorus, "Connor can you take us to the park?"  
  
"Girls, I can take you," Fred offers, "I think Dawn and Connor need to talk."  
  
Connor sits staring stunned at Dawn who finishes her long story with, "I know it's hard to believe, monsters and that but it's all true."  
  
"I don't know what to say." Connor whispers.  
  
Angel pushes the office door open and states, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a little more that neither one of you know."  
  
Five minutes later both Dawn and Connor are staring, eyes wide, at Angel who has just explained Connor's own history, leaving out the parts about Cordelia and Jasmine. Connor jumps to his feet, "I can't be here right now," and with his words he bolts out of the office and then out of the hotel.  
  
Dawn turns, on the verge of tears, to face Angel, "how come you never told me about this?"  
  
Angel shrugs, "I don't have a good reason."  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "I can't see you right now...I have to go..."

* * *

When Spike wakes up hours later Fred has come back from the park with the girls, has been filled in so she fills Spike in. "I've got to talk to the bit." Spike states.  
  
"I think she wants to be alone Spike." Fred responds.  
  
Spike shakes his head, "not going to happen. Besides, it's me." With his words he makes his way down the hallway to Dawn's room, knocking on her door he calls in, "lil' bit, I'm coming in, so I hope your decent." Glancing around her room Spike comments, "taking out some pent up anger on your room is always good, we could do some hard core patrolling tonight if you want, love." Focusing on the suitcases he stops, "planning a day trip?"  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "I've talked to Buffy, I'm moving back to Cleveland."  
  
"You aren't out of classes yet." Spike states.  
  
"My finals are over, I'm done." Dawn responds. "I have to get away from here. Things are ruined with Connor and me. Angel lied, sort of...Besides Buffy can use me at school, they have so many kids to teach Willow's overworked..."  
  
"Is there anything I can say to convince you to get over your damned Summer's determination and stay?"  
  
Dawn shakes her head, "I've called the airport and made arrangement and Buffy's expecting me." 

AN...One Chapter left....look for it soon! I leave for vacation Sat so look for it before then!


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
As Dawn finishes writing on the board she turns to face her class, a handful of slayers and future watchers that took the Advanced Sumerian that only Dawn knew well enough to teach. "Okay, don't forget your 5 page report on the topics assigned to you last week is due on Friday, don't forget. If you don't have it Friday don't bother turning it in, I won't accept it late."  
  
"So why won't you talk about it?" Magdalena picks up the conversation she had started with Dawn before class just after all the other students have left the class room.  
  
"Because," Dawn responds.  
  
"You've been here a month. Besides I don't understand how anything could've gone wrong, I mean you and Connor were dating for years, I figured you'd be telling us you got engaged, not coming home because you broke up." Magdalena comments as they walk out of the class room.  
  
"Things aren't that simple, that's _it_," Dawn sighs, "things just didn't work out. There's not a whole story to tell."  
  
"Did he cheat on you?"  
  
"No!" Dawn exclaims quickly and then with a resinating sigh she explains, "I told him the truth about my life and he couldn't deal."  
  
"Oh Dawn, I'm sorry." Magdalena sighs, although that was something along the lines of what she had been expecting. "You miss the girls, don't you?" She asks after a pause in the conversation.  
  
Dawn nods, "I do, but they have their dad now," she had explained upon her arrival about Connor being the father of the girls. "And everyone else at the hotel. So you want to grab some lunch? I'm starving."  
  
Magdalena and Dawn are eating the sandwiches they had made when a training to be a watcher comes in, "Johanna you want a sandwich?" Dawn asks.  
  
Johanna shakes her head, "actually I was just looking for Buffy, there's someone here to bring two new slayers in."  
  
"She's training with some of the girls, I'll take care of it." Dawn states standing, "where did you take them?"  
  
"Into Buffy's office." Johanna responds.  
  
"Okay thanks." Dawn nods before walking swiftly toward the office. Pushing the door open Dawn stops dead in her tracks when she sees Connor sitting in one of the chairs.  
  
Connor looks just as surprised to see Dawn there, "I didn't expect you to come."  
  
"Well I didn't expect you to appear halfway across the country." Dawn snaps but her expression softens when she sees the girls.  
  
"Dawnie!" They both call out. "We missed you."  
  
Dawn kneels down and hugs both girls tightly, "I missed you too." Straightening Dawn faces Connor again, "what are you guys doing here?"  
  
"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here, it took longer than I thought to adjust to the idea of everything. Between finding out that I was a father and _other_ things I got so wrapped in trying to live this new life that I didn't realize that even though I had a new life that there were some things from the old one that I needed." Connor takes a deep breath, "so we have something to ask you."  
  
Maggie pulls on Dawn's skirt and when Dawn looks down her eyes lock on Maggie's as the young girl asks, "will you be our Mommy?"  
  
Dawn's chin trembles as Alisa repeats Maggie's action and holding out the engagement ring that Dawn had left on her bedside table in the Hyperion. Alisa asks, "and will you marry us?"  
  
Connor takes the from the palm of Alisa's hand, "me, will you marry me? Help us to be a family?"  
  
Dawn's eyes are shimmering in tears as she nods, "yes, I will."  
  
**_Short chapter, I know but this was all I had left for the story! I hope you enjoyed! Please review!_**


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